11.03.23 — 19:30
CN D Pantin
A leading figure of ballroom culture in France, Lasseindra Ninja has contributed in making Paris the European capital of voguing these past few years. Voguing was born out of the oppression of the black LGBTQI+ community in the USA in the 1970’s; this ball will open the “Exposed” exhibit with the dynamic competitive vibrations of voguers who will compete in extravagant and dazzling performances. It is also a great moment of freedom, since according to Lasseindra Ninja, voguing fosters individual development and emancipation. It is the freedom for each spectator to forge their own path, create their own understanding of current and past questions around dance and identity, power, vulnerability, social and political issues, discriminations and taboos, gender and transgender identity, as well as activism. Voguing is political!
Lasseindra Ninja is a Paris-based dancer and choreographer. She was trained in France and in the USA, and she developed her artistic practice through the organization of major balls, choreographic creations and solo performances as well as collaborations with other artists. She is interested in identities and spaces that unfold between the real and the virtual, from the stage to the screen and vice-versa: when and how can movement be performed, and how can it be perceived and evaluated? Her work relies on pan-African and transatlantic vectors in a contemporary reflection on the history of bodies, the traces and reminiscences of collective dance experiences. A pioneer in the ballroom scene in Europe, she founded the Eurasian chapter of the “International & Iconic House of Ninja”. She’s considered as a legend in the international ballroom community and she now explores the fields of contemporary creation, musical composition as well as digital arts (video and photo) within prestigious institutions such as the Centre national de la danse or the Ballet national de Marseille.